I have recently Installed Suse 9.3 as i want to start to learn Linux.
I have been told that Suse is quite ideal for a beginner, but i have a major problem that is preventing me from learning further.

I cannot connect to the internet at all.


My Setup before i go any further.

Machine:
AMD Duron 1.4Ghz 1gb Ram Radeon 8500 Video Card.
All else is built to motherboard, which is a Asrock K7VM2 Motherboard.
This uses Via Chipset, Via Audio, and a Cia VT6102 Rhine II Nic

As far as i can tell, the Nic is working, as i can browse other machines on the network, Which are running Windows XP.#
My trouble is when i use mozilla or other browser it comes up immediatly that the site cannot be found.
If i enter another website in the address bar, i would get the same error.

I have entered Yast i think it is called, and it tells me that the adaptor is working. DHCP is enabled. (I have tried also giving it IP address of it`s own too )

I tried opening the terminal and typing ping google.com and it reports that the host cannot be found.
But if i ping an internal ip address, it works.

I read on another site, to disable the firewall which i have done now, but not to sure if i have done the right one. It gave me 4 options, and i selected turn off.

I have looked everywhere for answers to this. and short of uninstalling and re-installing another flavour of linux i have no idea what else to try. ???

Any help would be greatly appreciated.


Oh i forgot to mention, that i am using a Netgear wireless router, but using it wired to Linux Computer.
Right now it is running DHCP, and has given the Linux box a IP address.

You probably don't have your DNS servers configured properly. Try typing in the following command as root:

cat /etc/resolv.conf

It should return a listing the form:

nameserver xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx

You may have multiple entries for nameserver. The xxx represents the IP address of your DNS servers. Ensure that they are correct (perhaps by verifying it with a Windows computer).

If that looks right check that you have a default gateway using the command:

netstat -rn

If you're not sure how to read any of the outputs, just post them on this forum using the "[code]" tags please.

I am @ work right now, but will do as you say tonight when i get in.

I have to admit that at no stage in the setup, did it ask for DNS, and just thought that they might be set to auto detect them.

Ok.
I am not sure if i have done things right here, being that i am a complete newbie at this.

Basically i found a section that allowed me to do a DNS server ?
I have put my ISP DNS in here, and it seems to have worked with allowing me access to the interent.

????? Is this correct though. Isnt this making my Linux Computer a DNS server of its own ?
I know in WondowsServer, i can run the machine as a dns server, but wondering if it is same for Suse. Or is there another section that is just for specifying DNS

If the internet works now... what more do you want?

If you configured the DNS Server option under Network Services then what you did was probably configured you comptuer as a DNS server forwarding requests to your ISP's DNS server. This probably isn't what you want.

There is a Host Name and Name Server option in the Network Devices option in YaST for your NIC if you click Change and then Edit.